Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Emma Smith, owner of Lost + Found Cafe, located in Elora, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Lost + Found Cafe is a small cafe tucked away in the heart of downtown Elora, Ontario. I like to think of it as a place where living room coziness meets friendly familiarity. It’s that sense of hometown comfort that has inspired me every day since I first opened the doors. It’s what makes our cozy corner of Elora come to life. Myself (Emma) and my staff strive to create a space that is welcoming for both locals and tourists alike. We are fortunate to be a popular choice for local regulars as well as for so many new and returning visitors to Elora. Building a lasting connection with everyone who comes into the cafe is as important as pulling the perfect shot of espresso.
At the Lost + Found Cafe, we take pride in creating unique and flavourful drinks by making all of our syrups in-house using top-quality ingredients… Vanilla latte using pure vanilla? Yes, please! We source all of our baked goods from local businesses within Wellington County, as it’s important for me to support local small businesses like myself. The menu is unique yet approachable, making everything from scratch in our tiny little kitchen. Overall our motto is simple; let us do the work while you sit back and indulge your senses with the smell of freshly brewed coffee, the sound of a vinyl record playing, the hum of conversation around you, all while enjoying the taste of one of our locally baked goods or home-cooked meals.
Tell us about yourself
My love for cafe culture began when I was a teenager but grew immensely when I was a student at University. Maybe it was the copious amounts of coffee I drank while studying, but I’m pretty sure it was the overall vibe a cafe exudes that really sparked my passion for coffee and this culture. Throughout University, I would serve and bartend but as soon as I graduated from school, I was on the first plane to New Zealand, where I lived for a year immersing myself in their coffee and cafe scene. I was lucky enough to work in a cafe on the south island where I was properly trained as a barista and learned all the ins and outs of a high-volume cafe.
Once my year of nomad living was finished, I moved back home to Elora and started to work and learn about the hospitality life of what was once a sleepy town but is now a burgeoning tourist destination. “Hygge,” which has been described as “the quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being,” is a philosophy I always try to emulate in life and is what I believe we have created at the Lost + Found Cafe. Being personable has always come second nature to me, and the idea that my job is to chat and connect with people, start their day off right with their morning coffee and cook them some of my favorite food sure keeps me motivated every day. We are all human, and I have my tough days at work, don’t let me fool you… But once I have that amazing conversation with a stranger about the music I’m playing or the gallery wall I’ve created, my mind frame can always turn around pretty quickly, and the motivation kicks back in.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I would say one of the biggest accomplishments is completing my first full year of operation. Not only did I have to learn and navigate the world of entrepreneurship on my own, but I had to do it in the thick of a global pandemic. Learning how to constantly pivot and adjust to a different way of operating, all while trying to figure out exactly how to run a business, caused quite the challenge. Lock-downs, various mandates, equipment breaking and delays, break-and-entry, change of landlord ownership, you name it - I’ve already been through it and all within my first year. I’ll tell you that champagne tasted really good on my one-year anniversary.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the most challenging things about being a business owner for me is learning how to guilt-free allow myself some time off. I’ve had to battle with myself from day one to erase this “business owner” stigma I’ve created. Sometimes I feel that if I am not always working or at the cafe, then I am not doing a good job. It’s hard to find that balance when all you want to do is be at the cafe and work. In the long run, however, I know this is not healthy for me, and it's not the way I want to live my life or operate my business. I want to find a balance between working hard and allowing myself to have time off to enjoy the other beauties of life. There is this stereo-typical persona about what an entrepreneur should look like; work really hard, get no rest and let your business be all-consuming. For some people, that may work, but for me, I’ve always needed balance in life. I believe that if I find balance, then I will show up to work grateful and with a smile on my face, excited to start the day instead of dreading another tiring day. This is something I work on every day and will most likely be working on for the rest of my career.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
1.) Find a mentor. One of the things that have helped me the most is having someone in the industry that I can turn to and ask for advice. It doesn't have to be someone who is directly in the same realm of business as you, but someone who at least knows the industry. I’ve been fortunate to have two strong relationships with other restaurant owners in Elora who have helped me out immensely. There are so many things that are going to come up along the way or situations you may not know how to handle, and having someone you can trust and turn to for advice who may have already experienced it, is huge.
2.) Outsource. If there is something that you are not comfortable doing or that will take a lot of your time to do, hire someone to do it for you. For me, it was the numbers. I knew from day one where my strong suits were, and bookkeeping and accounting weren’t one of them. I pushed some numbers and determined I could afford to hire someone to do it for me, and I have never looked back. Being a business owner doesn't always mean doing everything yourself. Sometimes the smart and right decision is deciding to let someone else do the work for you.
3.) Gain experience. I would say one of the things that have helped me the most is my extensive background and experience in hospitality. I have worked as a bartender, barista, server, manager, line cook, caterer, and more. This extensive background may not be necessary, but it sure has helped me out a lot. It also is what made me realize this was my passion. If you want to open a cafe or restaurant but have never actually worked in one, how do you know you will love the job? Gaining experience in a certain industry gives you hands-on life experience and knowledge before ever having to make any big decisions.
Anything else you'd like to share?
Invest in and care about your employees. Good employees are hard to come by, and when you're able to find yourself a solid team, it makes all the difference. Your staff is the foundation of your business so treat them with respect. One of the things that help me keep above the water on those especially hard days is having a great team behind me. Investing in great employees, you can lean on and laugh with is a great way to help ease the burden and weight of those rougher days. Also, be easy on yourself. Business ownership is a rough sea to sail. Some days are amazing, and some days are very hard; owning a business isn’t for the light-hearted. Mistakes will be made, and the days will vary. Some days you will be immensely proud of yourself, some days, you will be beyond exhausted, and some you will feel overloaded with stress. Take all of them with a grain of salt; the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: www.thelostandfoundcafe.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lostfoundcafe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelostandfoundcafe/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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